Family pet dies in Sigel Township machine shop fire

Property damage estimated at $350,000

Structure fire on the corner of Section Line and MacDonald Road at approximately 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday.

Structure fire on the corner of Section Line and MacDonald Road at approximately 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday.

Photo: Sara Eisinger/ Huron Daily Tribune

Photo: Sara Eisinger/ Huron Daily Tribune

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Structure fire on the corner of Section Line and MacDonald Road at approximately 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday.

Structure fire on the corner of Section Line and MacDonald Road at approximately 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday.

Photo: Sara Eisinger/ Huron Daily Tribune

Family pet dies in Sigel Township machine shop fire

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SIGEL TOWNSHIP ⁠— There were no human injuries reported in a structure fire Wednesday afternoon, however a beloved family dog was lost in the fire.

The fire occurred at approximately 5 p.m. Wednesday evening at 4472 Section Line Road in Sigel Township.

Bruce Geiger’s roughly 60-by-200 square foot building was burned to the ground in the fire. Kiehl estimated the total damage to be $350,000. Geiger kept tools and feed in the building, which were destroyed.

Neighbors confirmed Geiger had animals on the property and some were seen earlier that day. Sigel Township Fire Chief Joel Kiehl said they were able to get all the cattle and many of the chickens out before the building was completely engulfed in flames. However, the dog was never located.

“They asked if we saw it in there,” Kiehl said. “There were no chances of anything surviving.”

Some concerned spectators were worried, because the location of the fire was next to a small electric plant on the corner of MacDonald and Section Line roads. Kiehl said the shop was a far enough distance away and that the wind was blowing in the opposite direction.

First responders were on duty until almost 10 p.m. Wednesday night. They used approximately 150,000 gallons of water.

The fire crews did their best to maintain social distancing. Sometimes, this is not always possible in emergency situations. Kiehl was mindful of the state’s executive orders, set in place to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

“We have canceled a lot of trainings,” the chief said. “We will play catch-up once our governor tells us we can. Legally we can but we don’t want to be responsible for people getting sick. We are doing safety checks and stuff. We will hit training hard once everything opens back up.”

According to Kiehl, the department received full assistance from Port Hope, Sherman Township, Bad Axe, and Harbor Beach fire departments. A Bingham Township Fire Department tanker also provided assistance. The Huron County Sheriff's Department was on the scene, along with Central Huron Ambulance Service and Eastern Huron Ambulance Service.